David Hume

David Hume

Philosopher, Historian

David Hume was a Scottish philosopher known for his influential ideas on empiricism, skepticism, and human nature, particularly in 'A Treatise of Human Nature.'

Men Philosophical Passion Philosophy Science Religious
Born
May 7, 1711
Died
August 25, 1776
Quotes
383
Rank
#114

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David Hume quotes (page 11 of 20)

383 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.

David Hume Philosopher, Historian
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"..all arguments concerning existence are founded on the relation of cause and effect; that our knowledge of that relation is derived entirely from experience; and all our experimental conclusions proceed upon the supposition that the future will be conformable to the past. .... Without the influence of custom, we should be entirely ignorant of every matter of fact beyond what is immediately present to the memory and senses."

Memories Past Words Of Wisdom
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"God is an ever-present spirit guiding all that happens to a wise and holy end."

Faith Wise Spirit
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"If nature has been frugal in her gifts and endowments, there is the more need of art to supply her defects. If she has been generous and liberal, know that she still expects industry and application on our part, and revenges herself in proportion to our negligent ingratitude. The richest genius, like the most fertile soil, when uncultivated, shoots up into the rankest weeds; and instead of vines and olives for the pleasure and use of man, produces, to its slothful owner, the most abundant crop of poisons."

Weed Art Revenge
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"There is nothing, in itself, valuable or despicable, desirable or hateful, beautiful or deformed; but that these attributes arise from the particular constitution and fabric of human sentiment and affection."

Beautiful Science Fabric
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"The more tremendous the divinity is represented, the more tame and submissive do men become his ministers: And the more unaccountable the measures of acceptance required by him, the more necessary does it become to abandon our natural reason, and yield to their ghostly guidance and direction."

Acceptance Men Yield
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"Enthusiasm produces the most cruel disorders in human society; but its fury is like that of thunder and tempest, which exhaust themselves in a little time, and leave the air more calm and serene than before."

Air Littles Enthusiasm
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"There has been a controversy started of late, much better worth examination, concerning the general foundation of Morals; whether they be derived from Reason, or from Sentiment; whether we attain the knowledge of them by a chain of argument and induction, or by an immediate feeling and finer internal sense; whether, like all sound judgement of truth and falsehood, they should be the same to every rational intelligent being; or whether, like the perception of beauty and deformity, they be founded entirely on the particular fabric and constitution of the human species."

Intelligent Perception Of Beauty Judgement
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"A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature; and as a firm and unalterable experience has established these laws, the proof against a miracle, from the very nature of the fact, is as entire as any argument from experience can possibly be imagined."

Law Miracle Facts
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"The great end of all human industry is the attainment of happiness"

Ends Attainment Humans
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"Nothing endears so much a friend as sorrow for his death. The pleasure of his company has not so powerful an influence."

Powerful Sorrow Influence
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"The unhappy of all men is he who believes himself to be so."

Believe Men Unhappy
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"I know with certainty, that [an honest man] is not to put his hand into the fire, and hold it there, till it be consumed: And thisevent, I think I can foretell with the same assurance, as that, if he throw himself out at the window, and meet with no obstruction, he will not remain a moment suspended in the air."

Men Thinking Fire
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"We have no other notion of cause and effect, but that of certain objects, which have always conjoin'd together, and which in all past instances have been found inseparable. We cannot penetrate into the reason of the conjunction. We only observe the thing itself, and always find that from the constant conjunction the objects acquire an union in the imagination."

Science Past Imagination
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"It is... a just political maxim, that every man must be supposed a knave."

Men Political Politics
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"Reason, in a strict sense, as meaning the judgment of truth and falsehood, can never, of itself, be any motive to the will, and can have no influence but so far as it touches some passion or affection. Abstract relations of ideas are the object of curiosity, not of volition. And matters of fact, where they are neither good nor evil, where they neither excite desire nor aversion, are totally indifferent, and whether known or unknown, whether mistaken or rightly apprehended, cannot be regarded as any motive to action."

Truth Passion Ideas
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"All morality depends upon our sentiments; and when any action or quality of the mind pleases us after a certain manner we say it is virtuous; and when the neglect or nonperformance of it displeases us after a like manner, we say that we lie under an obligation to perform it."

Lying Mind Quality
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"The proper office of religion is to regulate the heart of men, humanize their conduct, infuse the spirit of temperance, order, andobedience; and as its operation is silent, and only enforces the motives of morality and justice, it is in danger of being overlooked, and confounded with these other motives."

Heart Men Order
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"Vanity is so closely allied to virtue, and to love the fame of laudable actions approaches so near the love of laudable actions for their own sake, that these passions are more capable of mixture than any other kinds of affection; and it is almost impossible to have the latter without some degree of the former."

Passion Vanity Degrees
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"Where is the reward of virtue? and what recompense has nature provided for such important sacrifices as those of life and fortune, which we must often make to it? O sons of earth! Are ye ignorant of the value of this celestial mistress? And do ye meanly inquire for her portion, when ye observe her genuine beauty?"

Son Sacrifice Ignorant
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"Mankind are always found prodigal both of blood and treasure in the maintenance of public justice."

Blood Justice Maintenance
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